A Beast of a Cold
by ninewood
Summary: Belle needs to take care of Rumplestiltskin when he becomes ill.


The rain splattered against the glass while Belle dusted the spinning wheel and thunder rumbled around her. It had been sunny and warm when Rumplestiltskin left the castle on business, but the sky turned black and the clouds threatening. Though it had been several months since he came to her father's castle and made a deal with her, she had gotten used to his rude nature and spiteful words and he seemed to be enjoying her company.

The wind howled and screeched as she looked toward the doors of the dining hall and wondered when he was coming back. Sighing, she headed for the dining hall doors when she opened them and headed into the main hallway. The torches sitting in the iron holders were lit and the shadows moved on the walls. She was afraid at first when she arrived at the castle, but she soon realized that the loneliness in the air was the cause. She knew that Rumplestiltskin was also lonely and she had tried to make him smile. It wasn't very hard.

"There is more to you than meets the eye," she said softly and smiled. She thought back to when she had served him tea, but dropped the cup, chipping it. He wasn't angry. He was rather amused that she thought he would be angry over it and his eyes seemed to dance in the humor of it. Now she wanted to see those eyes and pressed her lips together. A loud crash of thunder made her jump when the front doors slammed open and she saw a shadowed figure in the doorway. The lightning flared as she looked at the anger on Rumplestiltskin's face and he glared at her. "Oh, it's you."

He didn't say a word as he stormed in the hall and the doors slammed behind him. He was soaking wet and water rolled from his hair and down his face and his clothes were plaster to his skin. He had forgotten his cloak and water and mud trailed behind him as he stormed by her, not looking at her.

"I would get out of those wet clothes before you get ill," she said and he stopped half way up the stairs, turned and looked at her.

"I don't get ill," he growled then half ran up the stairs. Sighing, Belle went to get a bucket and mop then paused when she heard a loud sneeze coming from the stairs.

"Of course you don't," she sighed and headed down the hall.

The sun was shining in the dining hall as Belle pushed the cart toward the table and smiled at the memory of what happened when she had gotten the curtains down. He had admitted to nailing them shut, but what made her smile was how adorable he looked when he had caught her after she fell off the ladder. He had looked from the torn curtains to the ladder to her and she swore there was concern in his eyes. After he had put her on her feet, he became nervous and unsure what to do and she wondered what was going on his head as he walked away.

A low cough made her look at him and she noticed that his eyes were half open and his hair was sticking up. He normally had a wave to his hair, but now it looked like he had ran his fingers through it, making the hair stick up in all directions.

"Are you alright?" she asked, placing the tray with his breakfast on the table and he looked at the food. She noticed the golden shine to his skin seemed almost fluid and he placed his head in his right hand to look at her.

"Yes, I'm fine," he said then sniffed.

"You don't look fine," she said and he arched an eyebrow at her.

"I'm fine," he half growled and she nodded her head, moving the cart to the other end of the long table. She placed the tray on the table then sat down and started eating. A loud sneeze made her look up and he was wiping his nose with the napkin.

"Bless you," she said and he gave her a puzzled look.

"Pardon?" he asked.

"You sneeze and I said bless you," she said then placed some scrambled egg in her mouth.

"Oh," he sighed and she glanced at him from time to time. He didn't seem too hungry then pushed the plate away and got up. "I'm not very hungry today."

"Are you sure you're…?"

"I'm fine," he growled then stormed out of the room and the doors slammed shut.

"Of course you are," Belle said, slightly smiling.

Days passed as the sounds of coughing, sneezing and gagging filled the castle and Belle noticed that Rumplestiltskin was barely eating anything. He attributed it to not being hungry or the dust from her cleaning and his skin seemed to shimmer and looked more fluid. His eyes looked runny and even more red than usual and he would retire early each evening.

"I'm not ill," he grumbled as he held two vials of liquid in each hand and looked at the beaker sitting in the holder. The idea of him being ill was laughable. He hadn't been ill a day since he had become the Dark One. He sniffed then lightly coughed when he carefully lowered the vials toward the beaker then noticed his nose itched. His hands slightly shook as he opened his mouth and sneezed. He noticed that he had poured too much liquid from the vials as he looked at the wall and his eyes slightly widened. "Uh-oh, that's not good."

Belle walked down the hall when she heard a low pop then saw smoke coming out of the open doorway and she ran in the room. Rumplestiltskin was standing with his back to her as she stood in the doorway and he turned around. Belle pressed her lips together at the sight of purple slime running down his face and chest and he spit some of the slime out of his mouth. She stood back as he stormed out of the room and she smiled. He turned around to glare at her then pointed a finger at her. She nodded her head as he turned on his heels and stormed down the hallway.

A loud caw woke her as Belle sat up and lit the candle on the bed table. The sound grew louder as she walked to the door and noticed that the door was unlocked. Rumplestiltskin always locked the door to her room at night so to find it unlocked worried her. She opened the door as the sound seemed to come from above her and she walked carefully up the stone stairs. The door opened as she walked in the hallway and headed for the double wooden doors at the end of the hall. He had told her the doors led to his bedchambers and she placed her hand on the wood. The sound of gagging came from behind the door then a whimper and she slowly pushed the door open. The fire in the grand fireplace at the back of the room cast a glow in the room and she looked toward the large bed to the right of the room. A sour odor filled the air as she moved closer and heard a low rasping sound. She placed the candle on the night table when she sat on the edge of the bed and looked at Rumplstiltskin.

"Oh," she whispered and reached over to brush the hair out of his eyes. His skin felt hot as the candlelight shimmered on his skin and his hair was damp with sweat. His eyes were open, but saw nothing and his breathing came in short rasps. He couched and moaned as she got up and walked to the pedestal where the pitcher and bowl sat. There was a small cloth near the bowl as she poured some water into the bowl and carried the bowl and small cloth to the bed. Rumplestiltskin moaned as she sat back down and placed the bowl on the night table. She placed the small cloth in the water then rang the small cloth out and pressed the small cloth to his cheeks then his forehead. He seemed to like the feeling of water on his skin as he sighed and half closed his eyes. "Does that feel better?"

"A…a little," he said with a crack in his voice and she placed the small cloth back in the water. "Belle, I'm sorry."

"For not telling me that you were ill?" she asked and pressed the small cloth against his chest. She noticed that he was wearing a nightshirt and had opened the top and he nodded his head. "You should have said something."

"I don't get sick," he said then made a weak giggle. "Well, not since before all this."

"You still should have told me."

"I'm scared."

"Why?"

"I feel like I'm dying," he said softly and she gave him a stunned look then smiled.

"You're not dying."

"I'm so hot," he said and she wrung out the small cloth, patting the sides of his neck.

"That's the fever," she whispered and he moaned.

"My chest and stomach hurt."

"Have you been sick?"

"Yes," he whisper and looked toward the other side of the bed.

"I'll clean that up later," she said and he looked at her with sad eyes.

"Don't leave me," he pleaded and she titled her head to one side.

"I'm not going anywhere," she whispered and he closed his eyes. Even though his breathed was raspy, she could tell he had fallen asleep and she brushed the hair from his eyes.

Days passed as she tended to him and he would stay awake for short periods. There were a few times he would call out "Bae" then would moan with tears running down his cheeks. She wondered who Bae was, but never asked when he woke up and would help him drink some broth.

"How did this happen?" he asked with a croak to his voice and she brushed the hair out of his eyes.

"You got caught out in the rain," she said and he looked at her.

"I know that," he snapped then frowned. He knew it was wrong to take things out on her, but she would just smile and patted the small cloth against his neck.

"Why were you so angry when you came back?" she asked and he looked at the canopy over his head.

"Well," he croaked and she wrung the small cloth out before patting his chest. "Let's just say things didn't go as I thought they would."

"So instead of just using your magic to come back, you went for a walk?" she asked and he looked at her. His eyes still were runny and red, but a light shimmered in them and he titled his head to one side.

"Yes, that's what happened."

"But what you didn't expect was the sky opening up and you got rained on."

"Yes."

"And you just kept walking."

"Yes."

"You idiot," she teased and he gave her a hurt look.

"I am not an idiot," he moaned and she closed the top of his nightshirt. He pouted like a scolded child and she got up, taking the bowl and small cloth to the pedestal.

"Yes, you are," she said as she walked back to the bed and sat down on the edge of the bed,

"Maybe I am. Just a little," he teased with a weak giggle and she smiled. "Will you read to me?"

"Of course," she said as she reached for the book on the night table, opened the book and started reading.

"What is that?" he asked when Belle sat on the edge of the bed and had a long strip of cotton, a piece of large cloth and a wooden bowl with white goo in it.

"It's something my nanny used to use when I was ill," she said as she put the things on the night table and he gave her a puzzled look. "Sorry, but I had to go into your work room to borrow a few things."

"That's alright," he said and she reached over to open his nightshirt. She had only opened the top of the nightshirt to wash him, but looking at his chest made her eyes widened a bit and he titled his head to one side.

"Um….," she said, looking at the golden scales shimmering in the low light and he loved the fact she was blushing. His heart pounded in his chest as he smiled then coughed. He wouldn't admit how beautiful she looked even when she blushed and she reached over for the wooden bowl. "Now this is going to smell terrible, but it does work."

"I can't smell anything right now," he teased with a small giggle and she scooped some of the white goo onto her fingers. He closed his eyes as he felt her spread the white goo over his chest and he liked her touching him. Whatever the white goo was, it slipped under his skin and seemed to go into his lungs. It felt warm and nice and he arched his head back a bit. She used the edge of the large cloth to wipe her fingers off then placed the long strip of cotton on his chest then placed the large cloth on the top. She closed the top of his nightshirt when he opened his eyes and she smiled at him. "Is that it?"

"No," she said as she placed a little of the white goo on her finger and spread the white goo under his nose. "Try breathing through your nose."

Rumplestiltskin sniffed and snorted when a foul odor filled his nose and he scrunched up his face.

"That's disgusting," he said and reached to wipe the white goo off.

"No, don't do that," she said as she gently took his wrist and he glared at her.

"It's stinks."

"But it's working, isn't it?" she asked and he sighed, nodding his head. "Now, I'm going to have to do that a few more times if that's alright."

"I guess I have no choice," he said then closed his eyes and she smiled, brushing the hair out of his eyes.

"Belle?" Rumplestiltskin mumbled as she looked up from the book and he balled his hands on the duvet. She got up as she walked to the bed and saw that he was asleep. He pressed his lips together as she sat on the edge of the bed and placed her hand on his chest. His breathing was better and the shimmer of his skin looked softer and more normal.

"I'm right here," she whispered and his face looked content.

"Belle?" he asked again and she took his hand, wrapped her fingers around his fingers.

"Yes?" she asked and he sighed.

"I love you," he mumbled and she wasn't sure if she heard him right.

"Say that again," she said, but he had drifted further into sleep and she frowned.

Had he just told her that he loved her?

"No," she said as she shook her head, but didn't let go of his hand and sat there, watching him sleep.

Belle walking into the dining hall when she stopped short and saw Rumplestiltskin sitting at the spinning wheel. He was dressed and his hair was combed in its usual wavy style and she placed her hands behind her back.

"Oh, you're up," she said as she walked closer, but he didn't look at her.

"Yes, it appears I am," he said and she watched him spinning some straw into gold.

"And how are you feeling?" she asked and he finally looked at her.

"Much better," he said then looked at the straw.

"I'm glad," she said then rocked back and forth on her heels and he sighed, looking at her.

"Are you expecting me to thank you for taking care of me?" he asked, arching his eyebrows up.

"That would be nice."

"I'm not nice," he said and she frowned, pressing her lips together.

"I noticed," she said then turned and headed for the door. Her sudden sneeze made him look up and she was surprised that he was right beside her, looking concerned.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"Um," she said then lowered her head and he lifted her chin up with his fingers and thumb. "I think I caught your cold."

"Then I guess it's my turn to take care of you," he said while moving closer and they smiled sweetly at each other.


End file.
